Why is it SO HARD not to eat kids' leftovers?

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  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    Habits are hard to break, that's why. It took me over a year of constant battles of willpower to finally stop stuffing foods I didn't even like in my mouth. I would eat stale chips, complain that they're stale, make a "yuck" face, then 30 seconds later reach for more and repeat. Same with bloomed powdery plastic-like chocolate that I somehow tucked away a year ago and forgot then found it while deep cleaning or any foods I don't like but family members brought home and set on the counter. It's not like I can't buy fresh chips or chocolate, why I did it is beyond me, and I still get tempted sometimes but it's way less often and way easier to resist than before. I don't have an explanation for you except "people are weird".
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Thanks @amusedmonkey, that's pretty much it. Now I just wish I really understood why!

    To all the people scrapping over leftovers: everyone has a different policy on this. I will save leftovers if they have not been served up, but if they have been on someone's plate and are half-eaten, I won't. So in this case, the omelette was either going to be finished at that meal, or thrown in the food waste.

    I wasn't really looking for advice on whether to eat it or not. I was looking for strength to resist the urge (I got that just by writing the post) and then some insight on why I feel driven to eat things like this when I don't actually want to.

    It's such a weird urge, and being intellectually convinced that I needn't eat it, while useful, doesn't seem to make the feeling go away and so in weak moments, like last night, it can still be a problem.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    If it helps, one of the ways I helped my willpower with the issues above was to imagine something I really really wanted to eat later that day and how eating something I don't want will mean I won't be able to have something I really want, but it was still a willpower battle regardless.
  • kq1981
    kq1981 Posts: 1,098 Member
    edited March 2017
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    I don't have insight but I do have a plastic spray bottle filled with vinegar and water on my sink that I spray my girls left overs with as soon as they are done so I won't eat them. For me, if it's there, I'll eat it.
  • amc2509
    amc2509 Posts: 219 Member
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    I am now giving my kids much smaller meals and letting them have seconds if they are really hungry. They generally don't have the second helping which just shows me that I was over feeding them before and setting them on the road to future weight problems. Although as a family we do tend to eat decent home cooked food, I can honestly say that our portions were way too big. I still save their leftovers and have them for my lunch or snacks sometimes :) For example my lunch yesterday was in my daughters lunchbox the day before!! I couldn't allow myself to throw out smoked salmon on brown bread that she didn't have time to eat in school!!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    I can't imagine anything more gross than eating after children. :sick:
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
    edited March 2017
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    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    I can't imagine anything more gross than eating after children. :sick:

    I can.

    I have a good imagination :s
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    I can't imagine anything more gross than eating after children. :sick:

    I can.

    I have a good imagination :s

    Lolz. :laugh:
    I have one too and eating after kiddies who do whatever with their hands ranks right up there for me. :sick:
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    I can't imagine anything more gross than eating after children. :sick:

    My kids were REALLY good at not touching the portions of their meal they decided they didn't want! Not even with a 10 foot pole.

    Now they're 15 and 12 and leftovers are a thing of the past :tongue:
  • Sara1791
    Sara1791 Posts: 760 Member
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    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Chef_Barbell wrote: »
    I can't imagine anything more gross than eating after children. :sick:

    I can.

    I have a good imagination :s

    Lolz. :laugh:
    I have one too and eating after kiddies who do whatever with their hands ranks right up there for me. :sick:

    Now THERE'S a suggestion! :)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    Just don't give a second's thought to any leftovers, get them in the bin/trash asap. The very idea of eating kids leftovers which have to be cold by the time they were finished with them would turn my stomach :/. I have heard of people squeezing some Fairy Liquid/washing liquid over any leftovers so they weren't tempted.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    ps do you never leave leftovers on your own plate? I think its a good habit NOT to eat every single thing on the plate, its something I do regularly and it's let me be more aware of my hunger signals - I'll stop when I'm starting to feel full regardless of what is left on my plate.
  • CarlDuffin1
    CarlDuffin1 Posts: 13 Member
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    Think threadworms - that should help.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,671 Member
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    amc2509 wrote: »
    I am now giving my kids much smaller meals and letting them have seconds if they are really hungry. They generally don't have the second helping which just shows me that I was over feeding them before and setting them on the road to future weight problems. Although as a family we do tend to eat decent home cooked food, I can honestly say that our portions were way too big. I still save their leftovers and have them for my lunch or snacks sometimes :) For example my lunch yesterday was in my daughters lunchbox the day before!! I couldn't allow myself to throw out smoked salmon on brown bread that she didn't have time to eat in school!!
    And this is constructive advice without just thinking that food has to be totally wasted.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,671 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Thanks @amusedmonkey, that's pretty much it. Now I just wish I really understood why!

    To all the people scrapping over leftovers: everyone has a different policy on this. I will save leftovers if they have not been served up, but if they have been on someone's plate and are half-eaten, I won't. So in this case, the omelette was either going to be finished at that meal, or thrown in the food waste.

    I wasn't really looking for advice on whether to eat it or not. I was looking for strength to resist the urge (I got that just by writing the post) and then some insight on why I feel driven to eat things like this when I don't actually want to.

    It's such a weird urge, and being intellectually convinced that I needn't eat it, while useful, doesn't seem to make the feeling go away and so in weak moments, like last night, it can still be a problem.
    It's habitual behavior, which can be changed. That's basically why we do just about anything in life. We are creatures of habit and like to stick to routines. Changes in them may throw us off a bit, but as I've mentioned they can be changed to better habits with discipline and consistency.
    Habits are why people smoke, have dessert after dinner, exercise everyday, have a drink a the end of the day, etc.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    ninerbuff wrote: »
    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Thanks @amusedmonkey, that's pretty much it. Now I just wish I really understood why!

    To all the people scrapping over leftovers: everyone has a different policy on this. I will save leftovers if they have not been served up, but if they have been on someone's plate and are half-eaten, I won't. So in this case, the omelette was either going to be finished at that meal, or thrown in the food waste.

    I wasn't really looking for advice on whether to eat it or not. I was looking for strength to resist the urge (I got that just by writing the post) and then some insight on why I feel driven to eat things like this when I don't actually want to.

    It's such a weird urge, and being intellectually convinced that I needn't eat it, while useful, doesn't seem to make the feeling go away and so in weak moments, like last night, it can still be a problem.
    It's habitual behavior, which can be changed. That's basically why we do just about anything in life. We are creatures of habit and like to stick to routines. Changes in them may throw us off a bit, but as I've mentioned they can be changed to better habits with discipline and consistency.
    Habits are why people smoke, have dessert after dinner, exercise everyday, have a drink a the end of the day, etc.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png


    What surprises me is how stubborn this particular urge seems to be.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
    edited March 2017
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    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    ps do you never leave leftovers on your own plate? I think its a good habit NOT to eat every single thing on the plate, its something I do regularly and it's let me be more aware of my hunger signals - I'll stop when I'm starting to feel full regardless of what is left on my plate.

    Weighing food has helped me tremendously not fall into the Clean Plate Club trap. I now know how much potato, veggie, and meat will fill me up, so I rarely have leftovers on my plate, because all I put on there is all I will want. Occasionally, I will put a whole piece of steak on my plate and refrigerate what's left. Last time I did it I was amused to see what I ate ad libitum was my usually amount (4 oz). I'll have these less-that-a-full-serving portions of meat with eggs.

    Yesterday for dinner there were 7.5 ounces of mashed potato left from a previous meal. I had my usual 5 oz (with meat and veg) and was wondering what to do with the remaining 2.5 oz. Eating it now under a fried egg and a little bacon.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
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    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Just don't give a second's thought to any leftovers, get them in the bin/trash asap. The very idea of eating kids leftovers which have to be cold by the time they were finished with them would turn my stomach :/. I have heard of people squeezing some Fairy Liquid/washing liquid over any leftovers so they weren't tempted.

    I don't like to eat foods cold that were meant to be hot either. I use the microwave or stove to heat them up.

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